Demands

I'm not going to Occupy Wall Street, probably won't even make it to Sacramento (though it's tempting), but here are my five top demands (or fantasies):

Withdraw all U.S. troops and warships into U.S. territory. Allow no U.S. troops on foreign soil unless Congress officially declares war. Cut the military budget 80%. Educate the U.S. public about the history of U.S. war crimes, and allow for an international trial of our war criminals.

Nationalize the 10 largest U.S. banks, not by giving the federal government ownership, but by giving an equal share to every citizen.

Amend the Constitution to give Congress the clear duty and power to protect the environment.

Restructure taxes. Raise the maximum income tax rate to 50%. Raise the estate tax on fortunes of over $10 million to 90%, to help prevent the rise of an entitled nobility, as the Constitution intended. Make customs duties a major source of revenue again.

Cut back the federal government in favor of the states, which being closer to the people are, or could be, more democratic.

For those of us who have seen how rigged the U.S. social and economic system is, the problem is not formulating demands, but achieving them. I certainly recommend that everyone leave the Democratic Party and Republican Party and back independent candidates or parties more to their liking. Outside electoral politics, a little study of the marxists, anarchists, and particularly anarcho-syndicalism might go a long way.